Corporation for National and Community Service - Videohttp://www.nationalservice.gov/tags-tags/video
enHarris Wofford Awarded Presidential Citizens Medalhttp://www.nationalservice.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2013/harris-wofford-awarded-presidential-citizens-medal
<div class="field field-name-field-date-release field-type-datetime field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-02-15T00:00:00-05:00">Feb 15, 2013</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p align="center"> </p><p align="center"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Out of 6,000 submissions, 18 Americans Awarded Civilian Honor</span></p><p>WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Obama today awarded Harris Wofford, a champion for national service and volunteerism, the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor.</p><p>Established in 1969, the Presidential Citizens Medal honors American citizens for performing exemplary deeds of service. After receiving more than 6,000 submissions nominating outstanding Americans from the public, the President <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/02/08/president-obama-honor-recipients-2012-citizens-medal">selected 18 recipients</a>, including Wofford.</p><p>“In this country, we look out for one another. We get each other's backs, especially in times of hardship or challenge. It's part of the reason why applications to AmeriCorps are at an all-time high. That's why volunteering in America is at the highest level it's been in years. And I know that makes Harris proud to hear,” said President Barack Obama. “Harris Wofford has devoted his entire life to creating opportunities for Americans to serve. And the reason it's such a privilege for me to share the stage with him and all the others who are participating here today, is because you've taken commitment to a whole new level. Every day, you're out there righting wrongs.Healing hurts.Changing lives.”</p><p>“No other American has done more to advance the cause of citizen service than Harris Wofford,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). “From launching the Peace Corps to crafting legislation that expands national service opportunities through AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, Harris has inspired countless Americans to pursue their own path public service and make a difference in the lives of others. To this day, he continues to bring energy and passion to the cause of national service, and we and the nation are much better off for it.”</p><p>Following the White House event, Wofford was honored at a ceremony at CNCS, the federal agency for volunteering and service which he previously led from 1995 to 2001. Family members and former colleagues paid tribute to his dedication and accomplishments in public service and a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW0f5hu4sDY">video tribute </a>was shown.</p><p>Wofford, 86, enlisted in the Army Air Corps in World War II. With degrees from the University of Chicago, Howard University, and Yale Law School, he served as counsel on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and as an early supporter of the Civil Rights movement; he became an advisor and friend of Martin Luther King. He played a critical role in the Kennedy Administration, first as Special Assistant to the President for Civil Rights, and then in working with Sargent Shriver to launch the Peace Corps.</p><p>After the Peace Corps, Wofford served as president the State University of New York at Old Westbury and Bryn Mawr College. He later served as U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1991 to 1994. During his time in the Senate, he played a key role in crafting legislation that created CNCS and designated the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday a national day of service.</p><p>President Clinton appointed Wofford to serve as CEO of CNCS, a position he held from 1995 to 2001. During his tenure, Wofford provided strong and visionary leadership to expand opportuniteis to serve, build bipartisan support, forge new partnerships with the nonprofit sector, and strengthen the agency's operations.</p><p>“At a time of strong demand and growing momentum for service, I am so pleased that Harris is right at our side, helping strengthen service in America,” said Spencer. “Harris and the other Citizens Medal recipients represent America's great tradition of citizen service, which we are proud to carry forward through our daily work. I encourage all Americans to find their own path of service by visiting <a href="http://www.serve.gov/">Serve.gov</a> to find opportunities to match their interests.”</p><p align="center">###</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-footer-field field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than four million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and other programs, and leads President's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit <a href="http://128.121.39.38/"><span style="COLOR: #0066cc; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">NationalService.gov</span></a>.</p></div></div></div>Fri, 15 Feb 2013 05:00:00 +0000Editor10124 at http://www.nationalservice.govhttp://www.nationalservice.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2013/harris-wofford-awarded-presidential-citizens-medal#commentsDr. King's Lesson: An Interview with Ruby Bridgeshttp://www.nationalservice.gov/blogs/2013-01-17/dr-kings-lesson-interview-ruby-bridges
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-terms field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Blog Categories:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">MLK Day</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">By:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">CNCS Staff</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>In 1960, when she was just 6 years old, civil rights leader Ruby Bridges was one of four children to integrate the public school system in New Orleans. Every day, she crossed a screaming mob to enter her classroom.</p><p>But once she was inside, Bridges found an amazing, compassionate teacher who taught her “a lesson that <a href="/special-initiatives/days-service/martin-luther-king-jr-day-service">Dr. King</a> tried to teach all of us, and that was that we should never look at a person and judge them by the color of their skin.”</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SKyQV0-z6HE" width="560"></iframe></p><p><i>To learn more about the MLK Day of Service and find local opportunities to serve, visit the </i><a href="/special-initiatives/days-service/martin-luther-king-jr-day-service"><i>MLK Day website</i></a><i>. You can also visit the </i><i>Presidential Inaugural Committee website</i><i><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"> </span> to commit to serve on the National Day of Service and MLK Day, and </i><a href="http://www.serve.gov/"><i>search Serve.gov to find ways to volunteer all year long</i></a><i>.</i></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags-tax field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/37" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">MLK Day</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags-tags/video" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Video</a></div></div></div>Thu, 17 Jan 2013 05:00:00 +0000Editor3337 at http://www.nationalservice.govhttp://www.nationalservice.gov/blogs/2013-01-17/dr-kings-lesson-interview-ruby-bridges#commentsA Man of Service: An Interview with John Lewishttp://www.nationalservice.gov/blogs/2013-01-08/man-service-interview-john-lewis
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-terms field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Blog Categories:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">MLK Day</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">By:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">CNCS Staff</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>At age 17, Congressman John Lewis was so inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King that he wrote a letter to King asking to meet him. Dr. King wrote back and sent Lewis a round-trip Greyhound bus ticket to meet with him.</p><p>Lewis joined Dr. King and would go on to organize sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters, serve as an architect of and a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington, and march with protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL.</p><p>In 1986, Lewis was elected to Congress and has served as the U.S. Representative of Georgia's 5th Congressional District since then. In this video, Lewis remembers his first meeting with Dr. King and reminds us of the true meaning of <a href="http://www.mlkday.gov/" target="_blank">MLK Day</a>.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NhQJWvyYn_E?list=PLCCB28B2082C802BF" width="560"></iframe></p><p><em>To learn more about the MLK Day of Service and how you can participate, visit the </em><a href="http://mlkday.gov/index.php"><em>MLK Day website</em></a><em>.</em></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags-tax field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/37" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">MLK Day</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/taxonomy/term/52" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">United We Serve</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags-tags/video" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Video</a></div></div></div>Tue, 08 Jan 2013 05:00:00 +0000Editor3331 at http://www.nationalservice.govhttp://www.nationalservice.gov/blogs/2013-01-08/man-service-interview-john-lewis#commentsVote in the AmeriCorps Photo and Video Contesthttp://www.nationalservice.gov/blogs/2012-08-14/vote-americorps-photo-and-video-contest
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-terms field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Blog Categories:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">United We Serve</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">By:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Greg Tucker</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Some of our most creative <a href="/programs/americorps">AmeriCorps</a> members and alumni took our challenge and submitted more than 300 entries for our 2012 AmeriCorps Photo and Video Contest. If you haven't checked out the submissions and cast your votes, well, now's the time!</p><p>The theme of this year's contest is "AmeriCorps Works" and contestants were asked to integrate this idea into their entries to help tell the AmeriCorps story and highlight the program's impact.</p><p><a href="http://photos.nationalservice.gov/Servegov/As-Seen-onServegov/11021047_TH7QMx#!i=2025220159&amp;k=tZ5hZqm&amp;lb=1&amp;s=A" title="Peter Chace's entry, Fight Poverty With Passion, won second place in the 2010 AmeriCorps Photo Contest. Voting for the 2012 contest continues through Sept. 1."><img align="right" alt="Peter Chace's entry, Fight Poverty With Passion, won second place in the 2010 AmeriCorps Photo Contest. Voting for the 2012 contest continues through Sept. 1." border="0" height="200" src="http://photos.nationalservice.gov/Servegov/As-Seen-onServegov/i-tZ5hZqm/0/S/09152010acphotosecond-S.jpg" style="MARGIN-TOP: 6px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6px; MARGIN-LEFT: 6px" width="300" /></a></p><p>AmeriCorps members and alumni submitted more than 250 photographs and 65 one-minute videos for the competition via <a href="http://americorpsphoto.challenge.gov/">Challenge.gov</a> and are now competing for big cash prizes -- $2,000 for the winning photo and $4,000 for the winning video. Voting will continue until 5 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, Sept. 1.</p><p>We encourage you to look over the entries and vote for the photo and video that does the best job of telling the AmeriCorps story. You only get one vote for each category, so make it count.</p><ul><li><a href="http://americorpsphoto.challenge.gov/submissions">Vote in the photo contest</a></li><li><a href="http://americorpsvideo.challenge.gov/submissions">Vote in the video contest</a></li></ul><p>When you're done, you can jump over to <a href="http://twitter.com/americorps">Twitter</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/americorps">Facebook</a> and tell your friends to vote, too. We call that a “<a href="http://www.hark.com/clips/jslpnxpwjd-win-win-win">win win win</a>” around here.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags-tax field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags-tags/contest" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Contest</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags-tags/photo" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photo</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags-tags/video" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Video</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-programs-focus-areas-and-s field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/programs-focus-areas-special-initiatives-tags/americorps" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">AmeriCorps</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/programs-focus-areas-special-initiatives-tags/united-we-serve" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">United We Serve</a></div></div></div>Tue, 14 Aug 2012 04:00:00 +0000Editor3183 at http://www.nationalservice.govhttp://www.nationalservice.gov/blogs/2012-08-14/vote-americorps-photo-and-video-contest#comments